In Shades of Red
by CameoAmalthea
Summary: An ordinary teenage girl looking for the time of her life and finding an unexpected romance. A Turk on a mission that might be more than he can handle. This is the story of a girl and a Turk. She is his assignment, but things get complicated when a kidnapping leads to star-crossed love. Pre-game / Before Crisis
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Set during Before Crisis. Asher is my version of Nunchaku Male**

**For RedCherryAmber who issued the challenge: "Asher is ordered to do something he really doesn't want to do, how does he deal with it? ****Conditions that must be met: he can't figure a way out. Whatever it is, he has to go through with it."**

Chapter 1

_Friday, April 6__th__, - Spring Break 2001 was supposed to be the best week of my life! _

Jamie wrote holding her small diary in one hand and her pink gel pen in the other.

She paused to look up as sunny Costa Del Sol came into view. From the crowded rail at the front of the ship she could see the city growing larger and larger in the distance. Dolphins raced the ship, jumping out of the water in front of it and gliding along the side. The girl smiled at them and wished that Kelly were here to see this. Things hadn't exactly gone as planned for this trip.

She turned her attention back to her diary.

_I hope it will be…but…well I'm almost to Costa…but Kelly isn't and it really hasn't been my day._

_First we were late, and that was my fault._

She thought back to that morning.

"Quit checking the mirror, Jamie, we're just going on the boat. No one will care what you look like," Kelly insisted.

Jamie couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought. It was funny how flustered Kelly could get.

_She probably would have dragged me away from the mirror if I didn't have a freshly sharpened eyeliner pencil dangerously close to my eye._

Then again, Jamie knew that she was being a bit immature.

"There might be boys on the ship!" she'd pointed out.

"There will be plenty of boys in Costa," Kelly had countered, "save looking pretty for them. Personally, I plan on sleeping for most of the voyage."

"That's because you'll be on sea sickness meds," Jamie said, "and you don't know what it's like … I never get to talk to guys. With how my dad is … I hardly get to wear make up either!"

"Which explains why you're taking so long," Kelly said, rolling her eyes.

_I wasn't trying to make us late…I just wanted to look good. I think I look prettier with make up, dark eyes look better with mascara. Sure, I'll still be pale compared to those Costa girls, but maybe I'll manage to get some sun without burning. There's no time to do anything with my hair so I pull the long brown mess back into a ponytail and call it done. _

_We got to the dock in time to board, but only barely. Security has been tighter than ever since the terrorist attack back in February, and it took forever. Fortunately, we were both wearing dresses so they didn't spend much time on us. We didn't have any place to hide anything. _

_The trouble started when we were called to board and there was something wrong with Kelly's ticket. Apparently, someone with that ticket number had boarded all ready … some sort of mix up._

_We had to step aside while the man behind the counter tried to figure out the problem. He stared at his computer screen in consternation. I started chewing the side of my thumb out of nervousness. At this rate it looked like we wouldn't be getting on the ship after all. _

Jamie remembered standing there, trying not to pace as the man explained the situation and tried to fix it.

"It seems we've overbooked the ship, " said the man behind the counter. "I'm very sorry. I'll see what I can do." He turned his attention back to the computer screen.

In the present, Jamie was tempted to write down nasty things about the man. That he wasn't helpful at all…but that wasn't true and even in the diary she often used to vent, she didn't want to be unfair.

_I'd expected the ship to be crowded. It's spring break and Costa Del Sol is the place to be…well unless you want to extend winter fun and head up Icicle Inn for some late season snow boarding. _

_All the same, I didn't think there'd be any problem getting there…we'd booked our tickets months ago. _

A lot of good that did us, thought Jamie, once more pausing to think. The man really hadn't been so bad. It wasn't his fault there'd been a mix up and he'd done all he could.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, but the only thing I could do is move you to another ship," he'd said. "There's a first class ticket available for a ship departing later this afternoon, would you like to take that instead. You'll have to wait a few hours, but I assure you we'll do everything possible to make up for the inconvenience."

Jamie put pen to paper again.

_The man was really nice and got Kelly a spot on a later ship. She was perfectly happy to wait and take the first class ticket. The problem was there didn't seem to be anyone available to trade their spot on the later boat for my ticket on this one. That meant taking separate ships and arriving at separate times. I've never traveled on my own before …_

_It was a miracle dad let me go on this trip in the first place, and the only reason he agreed was because he thought Kelly's parents were coming too. I didn't want to lie to him, it's just … he's crazy. Ever since mom …_

_It's lucky I have even have friends to invite me places. After the article he published … it was so offensive. The Hijacking was only a few months ago, and a ton of people died. Like one of my friend's dad was a first responder during the hijacking and saw a lot of bad things, and then another girl I know lost her brother because he was in the army and the terrorists…they killed a lot of people that day. _

_I don't think my dad meant to hurt anyone. I think he really does believe the Junon Hijacking was a conspiracy. I don't think so…President Shinra himself was shot. He could have died, and if the Terrorists had managed to use the cannon all of Midgar would have been…_

_I think sometimes, when something terrible happens and you don't understand the reasons, it's easier to make up reasons. It's not just that there are evil people who want to kill everyone because somehow they think it's the right thing to do, it has to be a part of some conspiracy, because if you make up the reasons, at least then it makes sense…I don't know. My dad's crazy, and he can't help it._

_I love him, because he's my dad. He's the only family I have left. When I was little I wanted to be just like him. I still sort of want to be a reporter. That's why I write everything down here…gotta keep in practice. _

_It's just … a lot's changed since I was little and sometimes it isn't easy to love him. I really don't think I should have to listen to him. I'm going to turn eighteen tomorrow, so really, I don't have to anymore. In a few months I'll move out on my own and there's nothing he can say about it. I might even get a job with the Shin-ra Company. He'd hate that._

_He flipped when he found out I'd subscribed to the Silver Elite fan club. He says Sephiroth is a 'pawn of Shinra's oppression'. Whatever, I think he's hot. _

_Anyway, since I'm practically an adult. It's really no big deal that Kelly's on another boat. I can hang out in Costa for a few hours on my own. I could go to beach and read a book, or go to the movies …_

_Kelly and I both have PHS's. She'll send a text when she gets here and then we can check into the hotel. No minor hiccup is going to keep us from having the best spring break ever! _

Jamie closed the diary and put it back in her bag. She needed to go grab her bag and get in line to disembark. All the while Jamie wished she could be half as confident as she sounded on paper.

* * *

His assignment was simple. Asher of the Turks was one part of a larger operation, and everything was falling into place. His target was a girl named Jaime Downing. Well, maybe target was not the right word. He wasn't exactly kidnapping her or anything. He just had to keep an eye on her while the Commander had a word with her father.

His eyes went to the file again. Her boat hadn't arrived yet, so Asher had time to wait in the hotel and study. He liked to have the assignments practically memorized before he even started a mission. Better to be thorough.

Asher had been a Turk for a little over a year now, but he still worried about messing up. Reno said he shouldn't be too hard on himself, everyone messed up sometimes, even Turks as great as him. Yeah…Asher could believe that…it seemed more often than not things hadn't gone according to plan.

So far the Turks had been unable to defeat AVALANCHE or catch its ringleaders. Fuhito, Elfe and Shears were all formidable, and it seemed the terrorists were always one step ahead of Shinra. Their first major attack, the 2/30 Hijacking, had changed history. The terrorist forces had taken out several members of Shinra infantry, shot President Shinra, and managed to hijack the Junon Cannon. Their plan was to fire the cannon strait at Shinra tower. The tower would have collapsed, killing thousands of workers inside, Asher included, and depending on how much power they put into the cannon they might have taken out a good chunk of Midgar itself.

In a way, it was that attack which had brought the young Turk here today, or rather the fallout from the attack. He turned to the black and white copy of Mikeal Downing's article "Junon Cannon Hijacking: Inside Job?"

Asher sighed; the article was laced with typical anti-Shinra propaganda and conspiracy theories. Mako linked to extreme environmental damage, Lifestream theory, and pro-AVALANCHE arguments. The usual stuff that cropped up in underground papers. For the most part Shinra ignored it. If it was to be a battle for the hearts and minds of the people they'd fight words with words and since the company practically owned the press, Shinra would win.

However, Downing had gone beyond parroting the usual anti-Shinra line. His theory was that the attempted Hijacking was made possible due to an intentional intelligence leak. Shinra had allowed the attack to happen and almost succeed as a scare tactic to justify heightened security and to demonize opposition.

The theory was ridiculous, and Asher knew for a fact it wasn't true. If there had been a conspiracy or cover-up, he would have known; his department would have been at the centre. The problem was Downing had other theories that were right. Truth mixed with lies was like sugar and poison: all the more dangerous because it was easier to swallow.

If people looked into the things he got right and found proof, well they might just buy all of it. As it was Downing knew a lot of things he shouldn't…Things Asher hadn't even known until he'd been briefed.

Apparently there had been a cover up back in 1997. There'd been an accident and the city of Kalm had been destroyed. Shinra had rebuilt the town and hidden any evidence the accident ever happened. It was better that way. Everyone who'd lived in Kalm was dead and people knowing about the tragedy wouldn't change that…it would only lead to resentment, and people like Downing calling for the end of Shinra.

Shinra fixed the town, good as new. It became the same old city it had always been and new people were brought in. Hating Shinra for the accident…. supporting AVALANCHE and other extremists…that didn't fix anything. It just caused more pain.

Downing needed to stop before something he said got someone hurt or killed. Everyone had the right to say what he or she wanted, but not when it put others in danger. Not when it called for the over throw of the world's defector government; not when it encouraged terrorism.

They could have had Downing arrested for sedition, but Shinra didn't want to create a martyr. They'd play this nicely. Pick him up, let him know he needed to stop, and let him go once he agreed. He would agree. He had his daughter to think about.

Asher looked at his watch. The ship would just have landed. Right about now, Jamie and the rest of the passengers would be informed that Junon harbor was closed until Monday due to a terrorist threat. Jamie had been traveling with another girl, but the Turks had ensured her ticket was changed to a later boat; a boat that was now delayed.

Jamie would be alone and he would be there to keep her company.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_So things went from bad to worse, but then turned out all right! _

She started writing on the bottom of the page to avoid the parts that were half ruined from tears. Jamie lay sprawled out on the hotel's bed as she wrote. In the adjoining room's bathroom she heard the shower running. Skeeter was still getting ready, which meant she had time to write down everything that had happened. The top half of the page was filled with a mess of purple gel ink where she'd ranted about Kelly's ship being stuck in Junon.

_I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Kelly and I were going to split the hotel costs and check in under her name. She's eighteen, so she can check in. I wouldn't be able to until tomorrow. Besides, I wouldn't be able to afford to the hotel anyway because you have to pay a deposit upfront for the whole cost of the stay plus security. I could only afford half the nights! Not to mention the reservation was under Kelly's name, not mine. I guess she could have called them and worked something out, but there's hardly a point. We were only supposed to be staying until Tuesday!_

_I'd just hop a boat back home, but I can't because the harbor is closed! _

The paper was wet with tears. In some places it made the writing illegible. She'd stopped writing then, and that's when he'd found her siting on a bench, clutching her diary and weeping.

Jamie turned to a fresh page and continued.

_I met a guy today. He's wonderful! A total lifesaver! Also kind of gorgeous! The minute I saw him I was just stunned. It's like something out of a book, where you look into someone's eyes and you just feel it. _

_His eyes are so blue. They match the ocean perfectly! Everything about him matches this place. His smile is warm and his hair is as yellow as the sun. He's a natural blonde too, not just bleached blonde like some of the people on the beach. His hair is kind of curly and it makes him…totally cute. He's super nice too. He saw me crying and stopped to comfort me. _

"Hey are you all right?" he'd asked.

Jamie had looked up from sobbing and wiped the mess of tears and streaked mascara on her sleeve. Oh great! A cute guy was talking to her and she looked like an absolute disaster!

He knelt down and gave her a smile. "Please don't cry," he said, gently. "You're so pretty, and I bet you look even more beautiful when you smile."

She had smiled then, and blushed. Still wiping at her eyes.

"Yup," he said, "I was right, you have an amazing smile. What happened to make you so upset? Is there something I can do to help?"

She shook her heard no and explained what had happened. All the while fighting to keep from sobbing again.

The boy stood and looked towards the dock. "I guess my friends won't be meeting me either." He took out of his PHS and looked at it. "I wonder why they didn't call when the harbor shut down. Do you think someone took down PHS service in Junon? I hope everyone's all right. I mean - I'm sure everyone's all right. We'd have heard if anything really bad had happened."

Jamie felt terrible then. She hadn't even thought about the fact Kelly might be in danger. She'd been too busy feeling sorry for herself.

The boy looked towards her again. "So…I'm Skeeter," he said, holding out his hand. "And it seems you and I might be able to help each other out. See my friends were going to pay me back for the room. We were only staying through Monday. I figure they won't be paying me back now, but if you'd like to split? It's a suite so you'd have your own room and shower. Plenty of privacy, we'd just share the living room and kitchenette."

"I'm not sure I could afford that," she said. "Kelly and I weren't staying anywhere fancy."

"Well, I've already paid," he said, "and whatever you can give me is certainly better than no help at all?"

"I…I don't know," she said. Sharing a room with a guy? Even a private room…it sounded a bit dangerous. She wasn't even supposed to talk to strangers.

"It's all right," he said, "I understand. Do you have anyone you can call to meet you here or are your parents in Junon?"

"My dad's … he's in Corel. Writing a report on union activity, but it would take him at least a day to get here anyway, if not more…" She might as well accept Skeeter's offer. It would be better than sleeping on the streets. Unless there happened to be a hotel willing to rent to a seventeen year old that wasn't booked solid. She guessed that a lot of reservations would have been canceled do to the harbor being closed so she could look around, but it would still probably be cheaper to split with Skeeter, or at least a better value. Which was more dangerous? Staying in a nice hotel with a guy she'd just met or staying in a cheap motel all by herself?

"I have an idea," said Skeeter. "Take a picture of me on your PHS and send it along with my name to your dad. That way he knows who you're with and that I'm not a serial killer. If I was planning anything I wouldn't give him anything to take to the police, right?" He pulled out a wallet and handed her his student I.D. It read Skeeter Corin Allen and was issued last fall by Junon University. "So you can spell my name right."

"You're a college guy?" she asked.

"Just a freshmen," he said. "So you're in high school?"

"I'll be in college next fall and I'm turning eighteen tomorrow." She didn't want him to think she was too young for him.

"Happy almost birthday," he said, "I'm eighteen too. So what do you think? Text your dad?"

Her dad wouldn't like it, but there wasn't much he could do about it all the way in Corel.

She took out her PHS. Her dad wouldn't like her lying to him…anymore than she already had…so she might as well tell him. After all, it did seem safer to be with someone and to let her dad know who she was with …

_To: Daddy_

_From: Jamie _

_Hey Dad, there was a mix up with the tickets so I went on ahead of Kelly and her family. After my boat left Junon harbor was shut down, so they're delayed until Monday and I'm stuck in Costa. _

_PLEASE DON'T PANIC._

_I will be fine. I met someone in the same situation and we've decided to split a hotel suite together. Separate rooms, I promise! His name is Skeeter Allen, he's my age and I'm sending you a pic. If he was planning to kidnap me he wouldn't give me his ID and picture, right? _

She snapped a pic of the I.D. and then pointed her phone at Skeeter. "Smile"

She sent the picture of Skeeter along with the picture of his I.D. to her dad, followed by the text. She then turned off her phone. She didn't want to deal with him yelling at her right now. She'd listen to the angry voice mail later. After she'd had time to get over how upset she'd been with everything.

Jamie knew her father wouldn't understand. He didn't trust her to make her own decisions, but that was just too bad. For once she was going to do what she wanted. Have an adventure, meet a guy and have something unexpected and exciting happen in her life.

Tseng looked at the prisoner hand cuffed to the steel chair in the Turk's interrogation room. He had just finished explaining what he'd done to upset Shinra, and what they'd like from him.

They weren't asking much, a promise to never publish anything anti-Shinra again and to publically recant his claims. Maybe he could even publish a few pro-Shinra stories they gave him under his own name.

"And why would I do that?" asked Downing.

"Because at the moment Junon Harbor is being shut down due to a terrorist threat. A threat that the news will later report was foiled thanks to the efforts of Shinra personal. The report will include details of the terrorist's plans to bomb passenger ships. Once you realize how close you might have come to losing your own daughter, you'll understand how wrong you've been to spread these lies."

Downing's eyes widened at the mention of his daughter.

"Your daughter is perfectly safe," said Tseng. "We're even keeping an eye on her for you."

There was a knock on the door. Commander Veld let himself into the room. Tseng nodded to his superior in greeting.

"Mr. Downing's daughter has sent him a text message. I thought we should let him see it." He flipped open the phone and held it out for Downing to see.

"The boy's she's with is one of ours," said Tseng. "Now, you're going to call her back and tell her that you're coming to Costa as soon as possible. We'll drop you off there as soon as we're certain you've come to your senses. Of course, you wouldn't want to tell your daughter anything she shouldn't know. For her own safety."

Veld hit the call button on the phone. When it went directly to voice mail, Veld held up for Downing to speak. Sweat was pouring from Downing's brow, but he tried to keep his voice natural as he spoke.

"Jamie!" he said, "I heard about Junon. I was so worried. I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you very much."

The phone flipped closed.

"Now," said Tseng, "since you seem to be in a mood to cooperate, why don't you tell us about your sources? Most of what you've written seems to be wild fabrications, but there are some interesting grains of truth. Such as the destruction of Kalm."

Veld turned and left the room. Tseng knew it wasn't a subject he'd like to hear about. What happened back then wasn't the Commander's fault. A faulty PHS that had mangled the orders, an over eager military unit had bombed a civilian population without checking for confirmation despite the fact they had the correct coordinates, but Veld had given the order to bomb the target and as a result Kalm had been destroyed. It wasn't his fault the wrong target was hit…but the results were the same. Kalm was destroyed and with it Veld's family.

Tseng was one of the few Turks who knew the story. He'd been sixteen at the time and still laid up in the hospital from a mission that would have killed him if not for his Commander's bravery. Veld saved his life that day, but it wasn't the first time the young Turk felt he owed his life to the man. Veld had practically raised Tseng and was like a father to everyone in the department. The Turks were what they were because of Veld.

Before the accident Veld had been married to the job; he hardly had time for his wife and daughter. After the accident that had destroyed his hometown, all Veld had left was the job and guilt to fill the hole in his heart: guilt for not being there for his family while he had them, and guilt for his part in the accident and subsequent cover up.

Veld had never been the same after that…Tseng worried for him, but he pulled through as well as could be expected. He focused on the job. Did what needed to be done.

"Don't worry about me, son," Veld had said, "I haven't locked myself in a coffin yet, have I?" He'd laughed and shook his head, before heading off to busy himself with something or another.

Tseng didn't really understand what Veld meant by that, but he supposed grieving people said a lot of strange things. Veld had had a lot of grief in his life. He'd been in the department from the beginning. His first partner, a man named Vincent Valentine, was declared Killed in Action decades ago, and who knew how many colleagues he'd lost since. Then to lose his family…

There were some wounds that never healed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**AN: Note on currency 10 Gil = 1 US Dollar**

* * *

_Tonight has been the best night of my life!_

It was nearly midnight and Jamie knew she should turn off the light and go to bed, but she just couldn't sleep. She wanted to write it all down before she forgot a single moment.

_I came into the living room when Skeeter called me and I saw he was standing there practically naked. Like only a towel and shirtless! Oh my God, his body is like perfect; he's small, beautiful, but his muscles are toned, practically sculpted. I couldn't help but look, but then I turned so red that I had to turn around. _

"Sorry," he said, stepping back into the bathroom to put on a face was almost as red as Jamie's. "I was just wondering if you had something nice to wear? It's your birthday tomorrow right? Do you want to go out and celebrate? What I mean to say is…. would you join me for dinner?"

"Yes!" she cried, practically squealing. "I mean…sure that sounds…that's very nice of you."

_He likes me! I really think he likes me! A boy has never asked me out before, and now this incredibly good-looking guy wants to….oh my GOD! My heart felt like a humming bird and I couldn't stop smiling. I rushed into my room to get dressed and when I came out he was ready to go._

_Skeeter looks so good in formal clothes. He wore a red pin-striped dress shirt and black pants. I'm pretty sure they were designer. I guess he's rich too. It makes sense, given the hotel we're staying at…he didn't tell me how much it cost. He just said to pay whatever I was planning to pay before, so that the harbor closing wouldn't set me back too much, but yeah…the suite is more like a miniature house right on our private beach._

_There are a few other "bungalows" on the beach, but it's seriously like, walk out on the front porch and we're right on the sand, just a short walk to the water. The front of the living room is one giant window and we can look right out at the sea from the couch. The furniture here is amazing. It's almost like it matches the beach, from the warm hard wood floors to the way all the furniture is white-on-white and breezy._

_In the bedroom the bed is four posters and has these lovely drapes and the sheets are so soft. Then the bathroom…there's a shower big enough to lay down in and a free standing bathtub right in the center of the room. I want to use it sometime while I'm here, just stretch out in the water. Of course, there's also the hot tub for that, out in the private courtyard. _

_This is so much better than sharing a bed at the motel Kelly picked out! _

_Then when it came to dinner, Skeeter spared no expense. We went to this place right on the water. The balcony was literally right over the surf. I could hear the waves crashing beneath us as we sat down to eat._

"It's too bad I'm not eighteen yet," said Jamie, "I'm still not old enough to drink. I've never tried alcohol. I want to taste champagne."

"Why's that?" asked Skeeter.

"Oh I don't know," she said, tilting her head to the side so that a few strands of dark hair fell over her face. "I guess it just seems sort of…romantic. The idea of strawberries and champagne." She turned to look out over the water. The sun was setting now and the water seemed to sparkle in the golden light. "Maybe I read in a book somewhere…"

"You like to read?" he asked.

"My father doesn't like me watching too much television. Books are all right. I like writing more…"

"Is that what you're going to major in when you go to college?" he asked. The waiter bought the menus and filled their glasses with sparkling water from a glass bottle.

"Maybe, my dad is…well my mother was a travel writer," she said. Jamie really didn't want to talk about her father on the off chance Skeeter had heard of him.

"Was?" asked Skeeter.

"She died…when I was fourteen," said Jamie. "She was a travel writer and was going to do a story in Kalm and she…went missing. They said she might have gotten too close to the swamps and…well…"

"Monsters," said Skeeter. "I'm sorry to hear that…"

"It's all right," said Jamie, "It was a long time ago."

She turned her attention to her menu. Tonight was a happy night. She didn't want to think about sad things.

"My dad says my mother's not really gone," she said. "He says she's in the Lifestream and that means she's a part of everything now."

"Do you believe in that?" he asked. He didn't sound mocking, just honestly curious.

"I don't know," said Jamie, "but it's a nice story. I just wish it would help him let her go. He…" she sighed and shook her head, "he's convinced that she didn't die the way they said…that it wasn't just an accident or an attack…my dad believes a bunch of conspiracy stuff about Shinra and blames them for what happened to mom. He's kind of crazy" She forced a weak smile. "I'm sorry, I don't want to-"

"Hey, it's fine," he said, "My Dad can be pretty eccentric too. So…uh what are you thinking of getting?"

Jamie sighed in relief; grateful he'd changed the subject. "No idea," she said, "it all looks so good and…I'm not sure what some of it is exactly or if I'll like it."

"We could do a tasting menu?" he suggested.

"All our dishes for the whole table only…1,650 gil per person, with truffles on chef's selections add 1,200?" she asked. "That's…like two months worth of grocery money."

"I'm paying, don't worry," he said. "We can even do the truffles if you want. If you're interested in caviar, they have a tasting menu with that as well…we could do one of each menu and taste a little of everything."

"But the caviar is 1,900 gil! I mean, thank you but no… it's…that's too much," she said. Jamie shook her head. "Honestly, everything here looks too expensive."

"If you're not comfortable we could go somewhere else," he said, "it's your night, you can pick."

"Are we allowed to just…leave?" asked Jamie.

"Of course," said Asher. He took a 200 gil note from his wallet and left it as a tip. "Come on." He took her by the hand and pulled her away towards the door. On the way out he let the hostess know they'd decided to go somewhere else.

They bought fish tacos from a vendor on the beach and bottled soda. The flakey white fish was freshly battered and deep fried, wrapped in a warm corn tortilla, surrounded by fresh cabbage. Each taco was wrapped with a single lime. They squeezed the juice out over the taco and sat on the beach to eat.

* * *

Once Jamie had gone to bed, Asher typed up his report and sent it to Tseng. His primary mission was to keep the girl occupied and keep an eye on her. However, any information about her father he managed to get he'd pass along. He recounted her report on the mother's death. Mrs. Downing had died in 1997, the same year Kalm had been destroyed. Was it possible she'd died in Kalm? Was that why Mikeal Downing had unearthed the cover up?

As for Jamie herself, she didn't seem to sympathize with her father at all. So whatever Downing was up to, it was safe to say she wasn't involved. That was good to know. Asher smiled at the memory of her laughing on the beach.

He hoped he hadn't made her feel too awkward, taking her to that restaurant. The butler had already taken the liberty of making the reservation when Asher had checked in earlier that day and he assumed the restaurant would be a good choice. Asher had asked for the best.

Sometimes he forgot how expensive things really were to other people. He'd grown up with ample money. His mother was C.E.O. of the family business, a piano company that had been in business as long as pianos had existed. He owned a majority shares in the company and collected dividends in addition to the money he had in his trust fund. Asher's thoughts on money had always been it was better spent than left sitting around, as long as you had enough saved in case of emergencies. Asher had more than enough and so he gave a good deal away to charity and spent liberally if he wanted something or had someone to spend his money on.

Most people didn't like it when he spent money on them or around them. Asher didn't want them to think he was trying to show off or embarrass them, so for the most part he avoided being flash, but there were times he forgot himself. Tonight, for instance…

Veld had told him to keep the girl occupied and keep an eye on her, and he could think of no better way than by showing her a good time. The best time he could show her, in fact, even if it meant dipping into his personal funds. It wasn't like he had time to do anything like this ordinarily, with work and everything, so one weekend of fun wouldn't hurt his bank account too badly.

The truth was he wanted to make up for ruining the weekend she had planned with her friend; it was her birthday after all. He had quite the morning planned for her. He'd already arranged it all. Personalized butler service came standard with the bungalow; that meant dedicated butlers for each guest and a cell phone to reach your charge on speed dial. Of course, the hotel prided itself on intuiting whatever their guests might need, but some things required requests.

For example, he'd requested privacy…Asher kept his laptop, weapon, and all other Turk accessories safely locked in the room safe so that the maid service wouldn't stumble upon it. (Even if most everybody knew better than to ask questions), but he still felt privacy was best. The butler would come only when called for,

The next morning, shortly after Jamie woke the butler arrived bringing breakfast. He set the silver tray down on the coffee table.

"It's nothing too fancy," Asher told the bewildered Jamie. "But you said you wanted to try champagne. Happy birthday Jamie."

Breakfast consisted of simple fair. Warm buttermilk scones, freshly made strawberry framboise compote and clouds of freshly whipped Chantilly cream, and fresh strawberry slices. There was also a bowl of whipped cream and whole red ride berries in case Jamie wanted more of those.

Asher motioned for Jamie to take a seat on the couch beside him while the butler poured the champagne. She sat down and took glass when offered. Asher raised a toast to her.

She made a face when she sipped the champagne. "Don't worry," said Asher, "I think it's an acquired taste."

The butler left to draw a bath for Jamie. Asher had heard her mention the tub and thought she'd enjoy a bubble bath before they started the day, even if they started the day by going swimming and making a mess of themselves.

Jamie reached for a berry and took a bite. "Well, the strawberries are good at least."

Asher picked up a scone, the soft pastry warm against his fingertips. "Try this," he said, bringing it to her lips. She took a bite and the then licked her lips to get the last bit of sugary red preserves and sweet whipped cream.

* * *

**AN: The hotel is based on the Sugar Beach Villas Soufriere St Lucia, they offer luxury beach front condos. The restaurant they go to is based on Chef Mavro in Honolulu.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_We rode chocobos on the beach, right in the surf. And today, I had my first kiss._

Jamie lay out on the beach beside the bungalow, in the shade of a thatched umbrella, and wrote another diary entry in a sparkling light red gel pen. It was almost three o'clock, but there was no rush to do anything. Plenty of time to relax and journal, she went into a detail about the wonderful breakfast.

_Then after he finished drawing my bath which included filling it with bubbles and rose petals of every shade (OMG still can't believe the rooms freaking come with a butler), he asked if there was anything I was interested in doing. I couldn't really think of anything on the spot, but Skeeter pressed me._

"Come on, Jamie," he said, "anything at all."

"Um…chocoback riding on the beach?" said Jamie. It was the first thing that came to her mind. Another thing she'd read about somewhere that sounded nice, even if she really didn't know how to ride a chocobo.

"I'm make arrangements at once, miss," said the butler. "Will that be all, Master Allen?"

"Wait," said Jamie, "I…I was only joking. I mean…I don't even know how to ride."

"Do you want to do it though?" asked Asher. "The birds will be very well broken, I'm sure. It'll be easy and I know how to ride so I can teach you a bit. Besides, there'll probably be a guide to help out."

_Riding wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I love how soft the bird's feathers are when you pet their neck and against your legs. We rode bareback in the water, but there was a guide right there to make sure nothing went wrong. _

_Then after that we came back to the hotel's beach and just swam. The water is so warm here and so very blue. I'm not as strong a swimmer as Skeeter so he had to help me swim further out. We stood in the surf, him holding on to me. I moved close to him and then I did it, I kissed him._

_His lips tasted salty from the surf and his skin felt almost hot. It was just a quick kiss, innocent. He looked so surprised. Like he shouldn't be doing this, but he was blushing too…so maybe he was just really nervous. _

_I asked him if there was something wrong, and he told me nothing was wrong, but he didn't seem sure. Then he kissed me, longer and deeper: my first real kiss. _

Jamie's pen was running low on ink. She switched to a darker red pen and continued writing a bit more, not so much journaling as gushing, before finally shutting the diary and stretched on lounge chair. She'd showered off in the courtyard's outdoor shower before lying down. It was nice being so clean, even while enjoying the beach. Asher had said he wanted to lay down for a bit, and so he was in his room. A nap didn't sound so bad to Jamie, but she'd rather lie in the sun.

It was then she remembered her phone. She'd kept it off all this time, but it was probably time to face things. Jamie knew what her father would do when he got her text. Contact her to let her know he'd booked a room somewhere, he'd find a way, and tell her to go the hotel and stay put until he got there. She had no doubt he'd cut short whatever he was doing to come to her.

Jamie hadn't wanted to sit in some hotel and wait for her daddy to come rescue her. She wanted to make her own choice, find her own solution, and just do what she wanted…and it hadn't ended badly.

Even if she knew she was bound to get in trouble for this.

When she turned on her phone, she was surprised to find she wasn't inundated by text messages and angry voice mails. There was only one message from her father. For a moment she wondered if something was wrong with her phone, but Kelly had left a ton of voice mails and sent texts (explaining what had happened, asking if she was all right, asking why she wasn't responding, and finally asking if her phone was off) Her phone was definitely receiving messages...but why would her father only send one?

Jamie listened to the voice mail.

"Jamie! I heard about Junon. I was so worried. I'll be in Costa as soon as I can. I love you very much."

That was it? He hadn't told her not to go with this boy? Since when wouldn't that make her dad flip out on her? Did he not get her text? But…if he hadn't gotten her text he wouldn't know Kelly wasn't there and he wouldn't be rushing to see her. Why hadn't he tried to make alternative arrangements?

Did he actually trust her?

That didn't sound like her father at all.

Jamie replayed the message. He sounded worried…shaken…had something happened to him.

She thought back to his warnings. "Shinra won't like what I'm saying," he said, "one day I might just disappear. If that happens, you'll have to go on the run. There are people who can help you. There's a safety deposit box with money and a letter. If I ever don't come home, you go there and follow the instructions I've left for you." He made her memorize the location of the safety deposit box and had given her a fake I.D. she could access it under.

Jamie thought her father was crazy, and maybe she was crazy for worrying. He would have lost signal and only been able to leave one message. Maybe there wasn't a way to book her a hotel room without him being there…

* * *

Tseng walked into Veld's office and gave his report. It wasn't good news. Well, from a certain perspective it was good news because they had apprehended an AVALANCHE operative, but it left a question as to what to do about the daughter.

When Veld finished reading the report he sighed. "His wife was killed in Kalm. He blames Shinra, and so he joined AVALANCHE. Have we been able to get any more information about the organization from him?"

"One of their leaders was originally from Kalm," said Tseng, "He doesn't know which one. I don't think he's met any of them in person. Downing largely handles propaganda and leaking any harmful information AVALANCHE manages to uncover."

"Everyone in Kalm was either killed in the bombing or taken to Nibelhiem," said Veld. "There weren't supposed to be any survivors."

Veld would know. He had been the one responsible for the clean up.

"Someone managed to escape," said Tseng. "The girl, Elfe, she held her own against Sephiroth. Do you think she could have been one of Hojo's…projects?"

"I'd assume if there were any escaped experiments we'd have been called in for retrieval. It's just as likely she's product of AVALANCHE's own science. Their uniforms seem to emulate the Shinra army, for all we know they're trying to imitate SOLDIER as well…"

"They hope to outmatch us," supplied Tseng.

"Indeed," said Veld. "Do you think you can get anymore out of him?"

"Doubtful," said Tseng. "I think it's time to arrange an accident. Downing's daughter thinks he's making his way to Costa from Corel. It's a dangerous road."

"Her mother died on the road," said Veld, "or so she's been told, but her father knew better. From Asher's report we know her father's told her at least some of his suspicions about Shinra and I'd be willing to bet she'd question any mysterious disappearance."

"A public arrest?" asked Tseng. "Revealing that one of Shinra's outspoken detractor's is himself a terrorist might be good for P.R." It was the sort of plan the Vice President would probably support, but Tseng wasn't sure about the President himself.

"It's equally likely those sympathetic to AVALANCE would see a public arrest or execution as a farce," said Veld. "Speak out against Shinra and you'll be falsely accused of terrorism. I think it best to keep this quiet…it might be better if the girl were eliminated as well…sometimes it's necessary that there be no survivors."

* * *

Somewhere along the line, Asher had messed up. Jamie had kissed him. That wasn't supposed to happen. Then he'd kissed her back, because he had to do something. She could read his surprise in his face. He didn't want her to get upset…or to question things.

He should have seen this coming. He'd been nice to her, too nice to her. Of course it had given her the wrong idea. Taking her to dinner, and then out today. It was all very date-like…and kissing her back had only made things worse.

The truth was he'd wanted to kiss her. She was…pretty and sweet. The way she looked biting a strawberry, eyes closed to savor the taste. The way she looked smiling in the surf, the water glistening on her bikini clad skin.

This girl was his assignment. He could not get close. It would only hurt her. Any time now he'd get the call saying her father had agreed to their terms. He'd show up to take her away with him and they'd live their lives, and she would never see him again. If she tried to look him up she'd find "Skeeter Allen" had dropped out last semester. She wouldn't be able to find much else, and her father would know the truth and probably encourage her to forget him.

It was just a kiss. It was just a couple of days of fun, a couple sort-of-dates. She was young. She'd forget him. It wouldn't hurt her too much. He was young too; he hadn't been lying about his age. Asher could easily forget her. He shouldn't like her in the first place. He couldn't afford to lose objectivity, even on a relatively safe mission.

In his pocket, his PHS buzzed. Tseng.

"You're going to have to terminate the girl," he said, "I'm sending full instructions."

"Wait? What?" cried Asher, struggling to keep his voice down.

"Her father is an AVALANCHE operative," said Tseng.

Asher went to the bedroom door and checked to make sure Jamie was safely outside. Then he shut the door and made sure to keep his voice too low to be over heard.

"But she isn't," said Asher. "Tseng, I've watched her. She's innocent, she doesn't believe in any of the things her father says or does. If you need to bring her in, question her…but—"

"Asher," Tseng cut him off. His tone was sharp. "I'm giving you an order. She knows too much. If her father is killed, she might look into it and perhaps turn to AVALANCHE herself. It's safer to finish this. Do you want me to pull you off the mission?"

"No, sir," said Asher. That wouldn't any good. If he asked to be pulled, someone else would carry out the order and Jamie would die all the same. "What do you want me to do?"

"At sunset you're going to take her out for a boat ride," said Tseng, "I'll give you the location of the boats and the coordinates of where you're going to take her. You'll find a larger fishing boat. Use a Sleepel to knock her out and leave her there. Another Turk will be there with her father; he'll take care of making sure the ship sinks. You just need to get here there."

"It'll look like they drowned after a boating accident," said Asher.

"A paper trail will show Downing rented the boat," said Tseng, "after hearing his daughter was alone in Costa he left a message saying he was on his way and arranged the fishing trip to surprise her. Unfortunately a gas leak on board led to an explosion which caused the ship to sink, killing both aboard."

Asher nodded again. He didn't have much time if he was going to save Jamie. They had until sunset to escape. But…what was he thinking? Could he really betray the Turks? Why was he even thinking that? He joined knowing there'd be dirty jobs but…he hadn't signed up to kill innocent people. He doubted Tseng and the Commander liked this any more than he did. If they'd come to this choice…there probably wasn't a better option they could see.

Asher didn't know what to do, but he did know killing Jamie wasn't right.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_I'm worried._

She wrote in harsh red ink, on a fresh page.

_Dad's still not answering his phone. I don't want to believe the worst…that he could have been right…that something might have happened, but for years he's told me all the things we have to fear and I can't think of them now._

She saw Skeeter heading out the side door and walking off down the beach. Where was he going?

"Skeeter?" she called.

He looked back at her and waved.

"Hey, I'm going for a walk," he said, "I'll be back in a bit, all right?"

"All right," she said, nodding. He seemed to want to be alone…but why? Oh great, now she was being paranoid about Skeeter on top of everything else. Except…he was a bit too perfect to be true, wasn't he? Showing up exactly when she needed him and whisking her away like something in a fairy tale.

Jamie got to her feet and went inside. Her eyes went to his bedroom door. It probably wasn't locked and even if were she knew how to pick locks. Her father had taught her some things, how to pick a lock or crack a safe. His investigation methods weren't exactly…by the books.

Oh but why she thinking about this? Because she knew nothing about Skeeter, and had essentially trusted a total stranger? But if it was like something her dad thought up and he was some Shinra spy, wouldn't he have just kidnapped her or something?

Jamie turned away. This was stupid. Even if…god forbid, something had happened to her dad Skeeter didn't have anything to do with it. But couldn't Shinra have shut down the harbor if they wanted to, so that her father would have to leave Corel to get her and then…what? No, this was stupid and she wasn't any good at coming up with crazy conspiracy theories…

But something wasn't right, and it might make her feel better to know for sure she could trust him. The door wasn't locked, but of course the safe would take some effort to crack…

Jamie sat down and got to it. Keeping an ear out for the sound of Skeeter approaching. When the safe finally opened she found a bag inside and a set of nunchucks.

She picked up the weapon. Ok…that was weird. So far her impression of Skeeter was good-looking college guy with rich parents and nothing in her impression would explain having Wutaian ninja weapons slotted with materia. She set the nunchucks aside and turned her attention to the bag. She didn't know a thing about hacking, so she wasn't going to bother trying to get through any password protection. Then a file caught her eye.

* * *

Asher continued down the beach, his head down, oblivious to the white sand beaches and blue skies and lost in thought. This wasn't just a question of carrying out an order or not, but what kind of person was he in the end?

It wasn't the first time Asher had struggled with the question 'who am I?'

His parents always told him that it didn't matter what he did in life, as long as he did something. They told him to find what he enjoyed; Asher knew he'd never have to worry about money, but the knowledge didn't make him feel freer, it made him feel…lost. When you could never earn more than you'd been handed...did achievement mean anything?

He had had no idea what he wanted to do as a career, realistically, but he had a dream. To live life on his own terms…to be something more than Asher Aspani heir to the Aspani fortune…so he'd become Asher of the Turks. No different than any other Turks, just as willing to fight and die for something greater.

Being a Turk was the only thing Asher could say he had truly earned. It was everything to him…and here he was…ready to throw it all away.

If he betrayed the Turks he was a dead man…at least if they caught him. He had no doubt that if he cut and run the Turks would be ordered to hunt him down and kill him. It didn't matter that he just wanted to protect one girl; he'd be considered a threat to Shinra.

He imagined that it wouldn't be easy on his colleagues. Reno had trained him and seemed to like him a good deal. Asher was feeling queasy over the prospect of killing a girl he'd known two days, but having to hunt down one of their own?

Well maybe it would be easier for them. Jamie hadn't done anything wrong; if Asher ran off…he'd be a traitor. Would the others hate him for it? Would they even be surprised or would they have seen it coming all along?

The one thing he did know was that Jamie wouldn't survive on her own and if he let her go there was no way he'd be welcomed back with the Turks. If Jamie was to live, she'd need his help, and he could help her.

A few years back his father had bought some land south of Bone Village and financed a dig there hoping to find fossils. Instead he'd found oil. It was worthless stuff that made the whole bit of land equally worthless. Asher had funneled some of his own inheritance into a separate account and built a false identity to buy the land from his father. He didn't want Dad to know it was him…being bailed out by your own son would be embarrassing.

Asher still owned the land, it wouldn't be worth the trouble it would take to sell it, and he still had the accounts with some money in them, enough to make a start…to run away. He'd be giving up his life, risking death…but the alternative was taking her life.

He headed back towards the bungalow. Asher was going to have to tell her everything. He had enough cash to get out of costa. Maybe they'd head for Cosmo Canyon… somewhere out of the way.

He laughed to himself as he imagined what his colleagues might say about him. "That rich pretty boy never had any business being a Turk, a nice guy like him had no place here."

Of course, he couldn't really picture who would say that, but he feared it was what they'd thought all along. He'd always been small. He'd always been 'cute'. He didn't really have talents to make up for not being a jock. He got As, but only because he worked for them and took extra credit assignments whenever he could. He wasn't anything special in school. He wasn't a musical prodigy. He wasn't… well… anything… Maybe they were right…

But Jamie … maybe he could be something to her?

The first thing Asher noticed when he let himself back into the room was that his bedroom door was open. He stepped closer and saw Jamie crouched on the floor, the papers from his mission file strewn around her.

She looked up him. Brown eyes wide, and stricken. She got to her feet and backed away. "Come one step closer and I'll scream," she said. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for some way to escape.

He held up his hands. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said.

"Why should I believe anything you say!" she snarled. "You've been lying to me from the moment we met! What have you done with my father!"

"He was picked up for questioning," said Asher, "I was supposed to keep an eye on you…to send a message to your father that he should…stop writing. We were going to let him go once he agreed to our terms."

"Were going to?" she asked.

"Jamie..." There was no easy way to say this. "Your father is a member of AVALANCHE."

"Bullshit!" she snarled. "They've killed him, haven't they? Just to shut him up, because he knew the truth. Just like they killed my mother and everyone in Kalm. It's all right here."

"That was an accident," said Asher.

"Why would they cover it up if it was just some mistake?" she asked, "I bet they targeted Kalm. Someone there was a threat to Shinra so they destroyed the whole city and who'd ever know. My father was right about everything! And AVALANCHE…maybe they're right to -" She fixed her gaze on him. "Are you going to kill me now, Skeeter? Oh, right, I don't even know your real name."

"Asher," he said, "my name is Asher, and I was ordered to kill you, but I'm not going to. That's why I left, to think of a plan and of how to tell you. We need to run. I can keep you alive, Jamie."

"But…why would you help me?" she asked.

"Because you're innocent," said Asher. "I want to protect you."

She nodded. "I guess...If you were planning to kill me you could have done it," she said, "All right. If we can get to Junon, my dad has a security box there under a fake name with money and maybe names of people who can help…maybe AVALANCHE. If we're on the run from Shinra, I bet we'd be welcome there - and I bet you could help them a lot with what you know. Now we know the truth about Shinra, we can fight back, right?"

Asher was a Turk. He could hide his feelings behind a perfect mask when he needed. Jamie was innocent, but she was her father's daughter and had plenty of reason to want revenge against Shinra now. She was innocent and lived in a world of black and white, good guys and bad guys.

Asher was a Turk. He lived in a world where there were only shades of gray. "They'll be looking for you," he said, "when we get to Junon. You'll have to stay out of sight. If you give me the location of the security box I should be able to get it for us. I have skills. For now, you need to pack. At sunset, we'll leave Costa by boat."

Jamie nodded and headed out of the room. Only when she'd gone did he allow himself to cry, but only a little bit. Asher couldn't break down now…his mission wasn't over yet.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_I think I'm falling in love with him. No, more than think, I know it. I love him. _

Asher read over the words written in Jamie's diary in blood red ink. It was the last thing she'd written before she'd begun to worry about her father, begun to suspect that something was wrong. It was one of the last things she'd written while she was still alive, before he'd killed her.

Asher had taken the diary when he left her on the boat, in case it would reveal any more clues about AVALANCHE. He intended to tell the commander about the lead after he returned to Midgar. After Jamie was gone and could no longer be brought in for information. Asher didn't want her to suffer or to know what was coming.

At the very least, he had spared her what pain he could. Jamie was innocent. She had trusted him until the end. Once they were out to sea, he'd hit her with the sleep spell. The effect was instant…she'd never seen it coming.

Then he had continued on to his coordinates and tied off alongside the fishing boat.

"Need a hand getting her up?" asked the Turk who was already aboard. He wasn't someone Asher had met before, but he was in uniform. Reno had told him about a Turk who lived in Costa, a living legend who enjoyed a paid retirement. The man helped him haul the unconscious Jamie aboard, grunting with the effort. "Why'd you knock her out already? You could have let her climb aboard herself then hit her with sleep."

"I didn't want to her to know anything was wrong," said Asher. He cast sleep on her a second time; just to make sure she wouldn't wake up to find herself drowning.

"Right," said the other Turk, "well, I've got the charges set." He took a small detonator out of his suit pocket along with a cigar. "I'll blow it once we're clear." He climbed down the ladder and aboard the small speedboat. "If you'll be so kind as to give me a ride back to shore, I'd like to get back to my retirement. Only helped out with this since I was in the area, waited hours on this boat for them to fly in Downing."

Everything had gone according to plan. Now Asher was back in Midgar. It was time to file his report and debrief. Instead Asher found himself running to the bathroom. The first time he'd killed on Shinra's orders he'd wound up slumped over the toilet vomiting and it was the same now. The same tears…but worse…

The first time he'd killed it had been a simple execution. Shoot a stranger already condemned to die. He'd assumed that if he'd been ordered to kill him, Shinra had a reason to want him dead. Asher had acted without any hesitation. He'd wanted to prove that there wasn't any order he couldn't carry out.

Asher had been so close to disregarding his orders and betraying the Turks for Jamie's sake. It was only when she started talking about AVALANCHE, confirming all the fears Tseng had laid out, that he had realized he couldn't save her…

It wasn't his job to fix the injustices in the world. People died, everyone on the planet died, and a lot of them no more deserving than any other person. Sometimes, killing was necessary…to save more lives in the long run…to preserve…

To preserve what exactly?

She'd been so angry, and rightly so…her parents had both been killed. Oh but she had it wrong. Kalm had been an accident and her father…he'd wanted revenge on Shinra and didn't care about the cost.

But Shinra wasn't some dragon to be slain. It was a company made up of thousands of ordinary people who no more deserved death or hatred than Jamie.

Asher had read the casualty reports after the Junon attack. A lot of the infantrymen who'd died were barely more than schoolboys. If the cannon had fired on Midgar and sent the whole city crumbling down…would that be justice for whatever wrong AVALANCHE thought Shinra had done? Did the children killed when AVALANCHE blew up the reactor deserve it?

But who was he to say she'd have really joined with AVALANCHE? Maybe he could have convinced her not to and they could have lived ordinary lives. Jamie wasn't AVALANCHE. He had executed a girl for crimes she hadn't committed. A girl who'd trusted him. Who thought she loved him.

"Asher?" called Veld.

He sat up when he heard the commander's voice. He did not want to be seen like this. Of course, crumpled in a heap in a bathroom stall there wasn't anywhere to hide.

* * *

Veld heard the toilet flush and saw Asher emerge from one of the stalls, his eyes blood shot from crying.

Damn it.

If the boy was going to lose it after every difficult mission he wasn't going to last long in the department. He couldn't afford to have Turks suffering a moral crisis every time he asked them to do something they might regret.

"What did you think you'd be doing when you asked to join?" asked Veld. He'd had his misgivings about the boy, at first. He had assumed anyone who asked to join had no idea what they were in for and no place here. Asher had surprised him with his sheer determination: the kid just wouldn't quit and that was something Veld could use in a Turk. "You knew what our work entailed."

"Following orders, Sir," answered Asher. He was standing straighter now.

Veld had to admit, that was an answer. Asher never had any trouble doing what he was told. During Asher's training, Veld had ordered him to shoot a man in cold blood. A prisoner they needed to execute. The boy hadn't so much as asked what the man had done; he'd fired without hesitation. Even Reno was unnerved by how easy it seemed to come, but he'd found Asher getting sick in the bathroom afterward. That was proof enough that the kid was human.

It was normal to have difficulty taking a life the first time. Asher was still new, and in many ways this was a first for him as well: the first time he'd been asked to cross a personal line. Veld could forgive his reaction, this time, but he could not coddle the boy.

"Killing," Veld corrected him. "We do a lot of work for Shinra, often the work that others can't and that includes killing people. Sometimes it's a mistake," He paused for a moment. None of the Turks could afford to be weak, Veld more than any of them, because they depended on him. "Sometimes it isn't. Either way, we do what we have to do. I expect more from you, Asher. Don't be so weak."

"Yes, Sir," said Asher.

Veld knew the look in his eyes. He couldn't have hurt the boy more if he'd taken a belt to him. Asher wanted approval, wanted to please. He'd grown up in a world where nothing was expected of him, where his family name would ensure everything was handed to him whether he deserved it or not, but he wanted to earn his way. He had something to prove, and Veld knew calling him weak would make him work to be stronger.

Asher was standing perfectly straight now. The anguish in his face had been replaced by anger, not at Veld but at himself for faltering.

"I'm sorry, Sir," said Asher. "I'll do better in the future."

"Get yourself cleaned up. I expect you in my office for debriefing," said Veld. He put a hand on Asher's shoulder. "I'm sure you will."

Asher's report went largely as expected, although it seemed he'd gotten closer to the target than was necessary for this mission. However, gaining the girl's affections had worked in his favor. She'd opened up to him and given him useful information.

"She kept her phone off until sometime late Saturday," said Asher. "When she turned it on she got the message from her father and thought something was amiss. From her diary, I gather her father was obsessively over protective and did not allow her much contact with boys. She thought it was strange he didn't protest her staying with me."

Veld was silent. Of course, Downing couldn't have acted completely naturally. He couldn't tell his daughter to stay away from that boy without giving the Turks the impression he was trying to warn her. For someone so paranoid, being forced to 'act naturally' came off as fake. It was lucky the girl hadn't made a run for it or done something else to make a mess of things. Veld should have considered what would have sounded natural, ordered Downing to make more calls. If it had been his daughter he would have…his daughter…He pushed the thought away and focused on his work.

"What did she do," asked Veld.

"She came to me," said Asher. "She told me about her fears and I told her I would help her, whatever she needed. It gave me an excuse to get her on the boat; she thought I was taking her to safety. She also gave me some potentially valuable information."

Veld listened as Asher described the safety deposit box whose contents might provide further leads on AVALANCHE. That was good; however, it was possible she'd had more information she hadn't shared.

"Why didn't you inform us of this earlier?" asked Veld, "We could have brought her in for questioning."

Asher was silent for a moment, his eyes shifting to look down before they returned to meet Veld's gaze. "In my estimation, she didn't know any more than her father, probably less. She thought her father was insane and had ambitions to work for Shinra herself to spite him. He'd given her emergency instructions, but I doubt she ever had contact with AVALANCHE. An interrogation would have been a waste of time and resources."

It wasn't like Asher to make that sort of call on his own. There were some who insisted on doing everything on their own as though being a Turk were a competition they came to win. For Asher, the challenge was pleasing his superiors, and he'd report in to ask if there was anything else he should do, if Veld wanted him to pursue any lead.

"I need you to be honest with me, Asher," said Veld. "Is the only reason you didn't bring her in?"

He looked down again before answering. "I honestly believe you wouldn't have gotten anything out of her. Her only crime was being born to the wrong father."

"Dismissed," said Veld. He had no other answer for Asher. Even if he did suspect the boy's true reasons, that small act of mercy hadn't cost them too dearly. Asher had followed his orders, despite any personal reservations on the matter and for now that was enough.

Once the boy was gone, Veld sighed and shut his eyes. Jamie's crime had been the same as his own Felicia's, being born to the wrong man, and getting caught in a disaster that was entirely Veld's fault. If not for Kalm, Mrs. Downing never would have died and Mr. Downing might have never started down the path that had doomed the family he had left.

Some said the Turks operated in a gray area, but there was more than gray between black and white; there were colors, the red of love, of blood, and of debts that could never be erased.

As far as Veld was concerned the Downings were loose ends from Kalm that needed to be tied, because of the mistake he made back then. It was a crime for which he never would atone. The dead were gone, his wife…his daughter. He'd trade anything to bring them back, but the world did not make bargains.

All there was in life was carrying on.


End file.
